Elgin City Footballer Accused Of Match Betting Fraud Charge

7 March 2023
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A Scottish league footballer implicated of hatching a plot with friends to defraud a bookmaker had more than ₤ 2,000 in his bedside drawer, a trial heard.


Elgin City striker Kane Hester was found with the money when his family home was robbed.


He rejects backing himself to get scheduled during a match versus Hibs as part of a plan with three others to defraud Bet365.


Findlay Soutar, Calvin Parrott and Brodie Myres likewise deny the charge.


In a joint statement concurred by the Crown and defence attorneys, it was validated that Mr Hester had actually picked up a yellow card during the first half of the Scottish League Cup video game.


It also verified that the 3 other accused had actually undertaken a number of monetary deals in the hours before the match in July 2019.


Fiscal depute Stewart Duncan read the statement to jurors at Dundee Sheriff Court where the accused, all from Montrose, have actually gone on trial.


Suspicious wagering patterns


Mr Duncan said it was concurred as truth that Mr Myres had actually paid money into Mr Soutar's account and also into an account coming from Mr Parrott.


He said bets worth thousands of pounds had actually been put on Mr Hester getting scheduled and the bookie had actually paid earnings at odds of 5-1.


Mr Duncan stated it was agreed that combination bets - consisting of Mr Hester getting a yellow card - were likewise put and won by members of the accused group.


The Scottish Football Association stepped in to produce a performance evaluation of Mr Hester throughout the match after being alerted about suspicious wagering patterns on the video game.


The court was revealed footage of Hester's home being raided and the footballer telling officers he knew what they were there for and would take them to the money.


Hester stated: "Do you understand what would be simpler? I know what you are talking about. There's no point mucking you about.


"I've got the money, it's at home. If I take you home and provide you the cash, that's what occurred.


"I was reserved in a video game and my friends provided me money for it - ₤ 2,500."


Mr Hester is declared to have actually outlined before the match with 3 others to place a series of bets on him being scheduled by the referee.


The court heard ₤ 2,400 was later on discovered in his bedside drawer.


The charge alleges the four males got ₤ 17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 in 2019, which ₤ 13,583.32 of it was acquired as unlawful winnings.


An alternate variation of the charge declares they at gaming by positioning five bets on Mr Hester being reserved and that he was shown a yellow card for a nasty, leading to them falsely getting ₤ 13,583.32 in earnings.


The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.


Montrose